Mushroom trimming machine



Dec. 16, 1952 J. R. URSCHEI. ErAL 2,621,692

MUSHROOM TRIMMING MACHINE Filed sept. so, 1949 4 sheets-sheet 1 ,e5 -O 2a Dec. A16, 1952 J. R. uRscHEl. Erm.

MUSHROOM TRIMMING MACHINE Filed sept. 3o. 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 16, 1952 J. R. URscHEL Erm. 2,621,692

MUSHROOM TRIMMING MACHINE Filed sept. so, 1949 4 Sheets-sheet 3 w v w v I N INVENTORS. z; JOE ,E am@ NIW/W Dec. 16, 1952 J. R. URscHl-:L Erm.

MUSHROOM TRIMMING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 30, 1949 --Illummm IN VEN TORS. che l?. Zij-'156222Z lends' Patented Dee. 16, 1952 MUSHROOM TRIMMING MAOHIN E Joe R. Urschel, Valparaiso, Ind., and Lewis E. Walton, Niles, Mich.

Application september so, 1949, serial No. 118,818

12 Claims.

This invention has to do with apparatus for processing articles such as mushrooms having a stem portion and relates more particularly to apparatus operable to remove parts from one or more ends of the stem.

In'the processing of mushrooms preparatory to their being canned, each is customarily severed into three parts respectively constituting the head or button of the mushroom, the stem proper, and the root portion at the lower end of the stem. The general object of this invention is the provision of apparatus adapted to perform these operations upon mushrooms after they have been fed individually thereinto.

A more specific object is the provision of article or mushroom holding means movable for transporting an article held thereby along a course for presenting the root end portion to a severing instrumentality which is thereby enabled to remove such root end portion While the stem continues in its movement.

A further object is the provision of a knife disposed adjacently to such course for also severing the head from the mushroom while the stem is transported therepast by the holding means.

Still another object is the provision of apparatus of the aforesaid character wherein the mushroom holding means and the root portion severing instrumentality or means are relatively movable endwise of a stem held by the holding means to determine the position along the stem where it is severed pursuant to removing the root end portion.

Normally the length of the root portion desired Y removed from a mushroom stem is a direct function of the diameter of the stem and it is a further object of the invention to provide a gauge means associated with the article or mushroom holding means for positioning the stem transversely of the course through which it is transported in accordance with the diameter of the stem and to provide a complemental gauge means sensitive to such transverse positioning of the stem for predetermining the relative position of the holding means and severing means whereby ithe length of the root end portion removed from the mushroom will be a function of the diameter of its stem.

Another object is the provision of mushroom trimming apparatus having a section along the path through which the mushrooms are successively transported for severing the root end portion and thus separating it from the stem and also having a section along said course where the head of the mushroom is severed and separated base broken away for exposing part of the driving gear for a rotatable carrier of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the base portion of the machine taken in the direction of the arrows on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, but containing a diametric section through the carrier or turret.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 6 for showing the relation of an article holding means, the turret, a severingY instrumentality or means in the form of a rotatable disc knife and a gauge member constrained for movement with the severing means and abuttable by the root portion of a mushroom held by the holding means for effecting relative movement of 'the holding means and severing means to determine the length of the root portion severed from the mushroom stem, there being typical mushrooms having diierent diameter stems illustrated at the position such mushrooms would be disposed in the holding means, and the view further illustrating the diagonal relation of the gauge face of the gauge member with respect to the severing means to cause a greater length of root portion to be cut from the large diameter stem than from the small diameter stem.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus taken diametrically through the rotatable carrier and substantially at the plane indicated by the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the machine taken at the side indicated by the dot-dash line and associated arrows in Fig. 7, illustrating spouts for respectively receiving the button and stem portions of the mushrooms after the buttons have been cut from the stems and as the stems are discharged from the holding means therefor carried by the turret.

Fig. 6 is an elevational View showing a fragment of the turret carrier for the mushroom holding means, together with the root portion severing means and the gauge member slidably engageable by the root portion of a mushroom for predeterminedly locating the section of the stem at which the root portion is to be removed.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view taken from above the mushroom holding means carrier or turret.

Attention is now invited to Figs. 3, 4, and 7, from which a preliminary understanding of the operation of the machine can be gained. A rotatable carrier or turret I I having a V-shaped article receiving notches I2 in its periphery is rotatable about a vertical axis at its center. The stems of mushrooms M to be operated upon by the apparatus are insertable into these notches with their heads or buttons uppermost and resting against the upper surface of the carrier. These mushrooms are insertable while the holding means notches I2 occupy any position between positions A-E. Rotation of the carrier is in the direction of the arrow besides position E. Immediately after each of these holding means passes the position E, an associated clamping iinger I3 will swing into position as illustrated at positions F and G for holding the stem of the mushroom in the notch I2. The carrier i I is rotated at constant speed and as each stem passes from position E to position F the root end portion RE, Fig. 6, of the stem ST will be caused to slide along an upper gauging face FA of a platelike gauging member I4 for reacting upon such member which is rigidly connected with the severing means in the form of a disc knife I5 to cause this knife to descend with the gauging member under pressure received from the root end portion RE. As the mushroom is carried past the trailing edge TE of the gauging surface FA, the portion RE will be severed from the stem ST and allowed to drop into a receptacle (not shown). The upper end of the stem immediately above the turret II is then carried against the diagonal edge EG of a knife I1 to sever the button M from the stem and this button or head then progresses by its ov/n momentum as illustrated in Fig. 7 across the knife for discharge onto a chute I8. Subsequent to removal of the button from the stem ST and as this stem is transported between positions G and H the associated clamping finger I3 will be caused to release the stem whereupon a stem discharge member I9 urged downwardly by a leaf spring upon which it isA mounted will drop into the notch I2 as illustrated at position H to forceably discharge the stem into a chute 2i. The stem discharge member I9 is constructed of flexible material such as fabric-reinforced rubber so that the trailing edge I6 of the notch can distort the member I2 and cam it upwardly onto the upper face of the turret pursuant to movement of the notch beyond position H.

Referring now to the structural details of the machine or apparatus the base 22 thereof which is in the form of a bottomless box for housing a driving gear for the Vmovable parts is supported upon legs 23, 24, and 25 having outwardly turned feet 26, 21, and 2B; see Figs. 1 and 2. An upright sleeve bearing 29 is mounted on the upper side of a central portion of the base coaxially with an opening 3l in the upper horizontal wall 32 of such base. Sleeve bearing 2g has a flange 33 at its lower end secured to the base plate 22 by cap screws 34; see Figs. 1 and 4. A turret driving shaft 35 extending upwardly through the sleeve bearing 29 and journalled therein also extends through a hub 36 of the turret II to which it is secured by a diametrically extending rivet 31. A reduced diameter upper end portion 38 of the 4 sleeve bearing 29 supports the lower end of the hub 36 to prevent downward movement of the turret and of the shaft 35. A hub 39 of a hori- Zontal cam plate 4I is rigidly secured to the reduced sleeve bearing portion 32 by a set screw 42.

The turret I I comprises a circular center plate 43 formed integrally with the hub 3%. An annular recessed face t4 on the under side of the circular plate 43 provides a circular shoulder 45 which is received by a center. hole of a thin annular plate 46 to serve as a pilot therefor, and this plate is held securely against the annular face 44 by a circle of bolts 41. A second annular plate, 4S, of the same outside diameter as the plate 46 but having a much larger center opening 49 is mounted in coaxial relation with the plate 46 and slightly spaced therefrom vertically as illustrated in Fig. 4. Annular plate la is also secured to the circular plate 43 by the circle of bolts 41 and is held in spaced relation from the plate 46 by spacer collars 5l respectively surrounding the shanks of bolts 41. The notches l2, Fig. '1, are formed in the radially outer edges of the plates 55 and 48, the notch components in the plates 4t and 43 being identical in number and dimensions and being in respective registry axially of the plates. In Fig. 7 it can be seen that each of the notches I2 has one of the clamping ngers I3 associated therewith. These lingers have bearing holes 52, Figs. 4 and 7, adjacently to their inner ends. Said fingers are disposed fiatwise between the annular plates 42 and 48 and their bearing holes 52 are journalled upon respective of the spacer collars 5I which are thicker axially of the bolts 41 than are the fingers I3 so a slight clearance is provided between the plates i6 and i8 to enable the lingers to be pivoted easily about the spacer collars. Each finger has a laterally-turned shank portion 53 from which there depends a bearing pin 54, Fig. 4, having a cam follower roller 55 journalled thereon. Apertured ears 56 are mounted on the bearing pins 54 above the rollers 55, and these ears are connected by springs '51 under tension with a multi-apertured ring 58 mounted upon the turret hub 35. Rollers 55 are at the same elevation as the cam plate 4I and are urged into contact with its edge profile 5S as illustrated in Fig. '7 by the springs '51. In Fig. 7 it is ascertainable that the cam profile 59 is circular and coaxial with the turret II excepting for a straight chordal prole portion 6I extending between profile points 62 and 63. While the cam follower rollers 55 are in position for engagement with any portion ofthe circular part of the cam profile the springs 51 will be distended and the associated fingers I3 will be pivoted out of blocking relation with their associated notches I2 as illustrated at positions H, A, B, C, D, and E, Fig. 7. When the cam follower rollers 55 are disposed opposedly to the chordal profile portion EBI their associated springs 51 will be unrestrained against pivoting these fingers clockwise (as Viewed from above) for swinging them into position for retaining the stems of mushrooms within the notches I2 in the manner illustrated at positions F and G in Fig. 7.

Driving means for the turret il is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 6. Driving force is received from an electric motor MT which is mounted on a vertically depending extension 65 of the side wall of the machine base 22, Fig. 2, by cap screws 66. The armature shaft 31 of the motor MT carries a pulley @Shaving a pair of axially spaced belt-receiving grooves 62 and 1I. A belt 12 disposed in the groove 1l is given a quarter turn to facilitate it also being trained over a pulley 13 mounted upon one end 'of a horizontal shaft 14 journalled in a long bearing 15 formed in one side of a gear cover plate 16. The upper part of the pulley 13 is covered by an upwardly projectingv cover plate 15a. mounted over an opening 15b in the base plate 32. Cover plate 16 is mounted by means of cap screws 11, Fig. 1, on the under side of the base plate 32 for enclosing a Worm gear 18 connected with the lower end of the shaft 35 by a pin 19. A worm pinion 8| constrainedfor rotation with the shaft 14 is meshed with the worm gear 18 as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 for driving the latter. The armature shaft 61as viewed in Fig. 1 rotates counter-clockwise so as to be effective through the pulley 68, belt 12, pulley 13, shaft 14, pinion 8|, gear 18, and the vertical shaft 35 for rotating the turret II counter-clockwise, Fig. 7.

The mushroom trimming means in the form of the disc knife I5, Figs. 4 and 6, is constrained for rotation with a shaft 85 which is journalled for both rotative and axial movement within a long bearing 86 mounted in a hole 81 in the base plate 32 and secured to this baseplate by cap screws 88,'Figs. 1 and 2, extending through a circular flange 89 formed integrally with the bearing. A

mounting hub 9| arranged coaxially with the disc knife I5 and with which the knife is constrained for rotation is mounted on and constrained for rotation with an upper reduceddiameter end portion 93 of the shaft 85. Just below the shaft end portion 93 the inner race 94 of a ball bearing unit 95 is secured to the shaft 85. This inner race of the ball bearing unit is constrained against both rotative and axial movement relatively to the shaft 85. A shifter collar 96 is mounted rigidly upon the outer race 91 of the ball bearing unit and this collar 96 has diametrically oppositely extending trunnion bearing lugs 98, Figs. 4 and 6, respectively pivotally connected with one end of lever members 99 and IUI of a counter-balancing lever structure |82. Lever elements 99 and III extend along opposite sides of the vertical bearing 29 for the turret driving shaft 35 and to which they are pivotally connected by horizontally extending fulcrum pins |83 of which one is shown in Fig. 4. The opposite ends of the lever elements 99 and IIlI mutually support a counter-weight W secured therebetween by pins |84. The mass of counter-weight W is sufficient to effectively bias the shaft 85 and the parts mounted thereon including the disc knife I5 upwardly in opposition to the gravitational force upon said shaft and the shaft-mounted parts. In Figs. 1, 2, and 4 it can be seen that the knife driving shaft 85 is driven from the motor pulley 68 by a belt |05 trained about this pulley and about a pulley |96 constrained for rotation with the lower end of the shaft 85.

The gauge element I4, Figs. 3, 4, 6, and 7, is adjustably mounted upon the vertically adjustable collar 96 bymeans of a flat slotted stem I81-projecting downwardly from the lower face of this member, a bolt |99 extending through the elongated slot |88 of such stern and a bracket III rigidly secured to the collar 96 by machine screws |I2.

Support for the knife |1, Figs. 5, 6, and '1, and which slides along the upper face of the annular plate 45 for severing the buttons of the mushrooms from thestems ST is provided by a bracket II3 secured to the base 22 by bolts |I4 and projecting upwardly. The upper end of the bracket I|3 has ahorizontal flange H5 upon which an end of the knife I1 rests and to which it is secured by small bolts I I6. In Fig. '1 it can be seen that the cutting edge EG of the knife I1 extends diagonally of the direction of movement of the mushroom M at position F commencing to be severed by the knife. The heads or buttons MB which have been previously severed from the stems ST of mushrooms which had been held by the holding means at positions H and G can be seen progressing into the chute I8. This chute has upwardly extending side walls I|1 and IIB, and in Fig. 5 it can be seen that extensions I |1a and I I8a of the side walls project onto the upper face of the knife I1. A ange I1b projects horizontally from the lower edge of the side wall extensions ||1a and is apertured for receiving the shanks of the bolts II6 as an expedient for retaining the chute I8 in position upon the machine.

The stem receiving chute 2| is mounted inthe position illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7 by means Vof a bracket |2I riveted at |22 to a side wall |23 of the chute and having a horizontally-turned flange |24 at its lower end secured to the upper base plate 32 by machine screws |25.

An upstanding bracket 26 secured to the upper wall of the base 22 by screws |21 is provided with a horizontal flange |28 at its upper end for attachment of the stem ejector device spring arm 20 by means of rivets |29.

Operation of apparatus When the apparatus is placed in operation by starting the electric motor MT the turret I I will be caused to rotate at constant speed counterclockwise as viewed from above in Fig. '1. Likewise the disc knife I5, Figs. 4 and 6, will be caused to rotate constantly by power received from the motor through the belt |65. Mushrooms can be fed by hand into the article holding means in the form of the turret notches I2 of this rotating turret While these holding means are at any of positions A to E1. At this time, the clamping fingers I3 associated with such holding means will be pivoted into the release positions.

so there will be no difficulty in inserting the mushrooms with their stems projecting downwardly through the notches and the under side of their heads or buttons resting against the upper face of the annular plate 46; see Fig. 6. As each holding means advances the mushroom therein through that portion of the course extending between positions E and F the cam follower roller 55 mounted upon the arm 53 of the associated finger I3 will pass from the circular part of the cam profile 59 beyond the profile point 62 into registry with the chordal profile portionl permitting the associated spring `51 to pivot the finger into closing relation with the notch sides which converge radially of the turret. In this way, the mushroom stem ST will be clamped firmly within the holding means so as not to be dislodged therefrom upon subsequently encountering the trimming means knife I5 and the button severing knife I1.

Subsequent to the clamping fingers I3 being closed onto the stem of a mushroom as illustrated in Fig. 6 the associated holding means will arrive in opposed spaced relation with the gauge face FA of the gauge member I4. The root end portion RE will thus be caused to advance across a leading edge LE of the face FA and into sliding engagement with such face. In Fig. 6 it can be observedrthat the leading edge LE is disposed more distantly from the mush- .sufficient magnitude ybetween the mushroom holding Ameans and the 'gauge member l vto cause relative movement between said holding .means and the knife axially of said knife. This relative movement occurs pursuant to the knife being Amoved downwardly by camming 'action of `the'root end portion against the face FA. vSirioo the knife I is spaced less distantly from the mushroom holding means than the trailing 'edge TE, the length of the root end portion RE severed from the stein ST by the knife will bepredetermined by the vertical distance between the knife and that section of the trailing edge TE over which the stem passes into engagement with the knife. The mass of counter-weight W is only suflicient to but slightly over-balance the .gravitational force of the knife driving shaft $5 and the parts including the knife l5 mounted thereon. Thus the means including this counter-weight W for biasing the gauge plate M and the knife l5 into the uppermost position illustrated in Fig. 6 is predominatable over by the thrust force exertable by the stein lSl between the mushroom holding means andthe 'gauge face FA. Rotation of the Vshaft 85 in the bearing t6 prevents the existence of static friction between such shaft and bearing and lthus facilitates end- Wise movement of the shaft within this bearing.

In Figs. 3, l, and 5 it can be observed that the gauge face FA tilts transversely of the course through which the mushrooms are caused to approach the knife i5 as well as tilting lengthwise of such course. This transverse tilting of the gauge face FA causes the trailing edge TE thereof to Vtilt transversely of the course Wherefore if the axial center of a mushroom stem is nearer to the end X of rthe edge TE `than to the end Y thereof, the knife 55 will be depressed further and will therefore cut a shorter piece from the root end RE than if the axial center of the stem were nearer to the trailing edge end Y. The length of end portion RE trimmed from the lower end of the stem ST is gauged from that portion of the gauge face FA along the trailing edge TE and therefore the length of root portion trimmed from the stem will be a direct function of the distance of the stem from the trailing edge end X toward the end Y. This gauging feature of the apparatus is correlated with the angle of convergence of the edges I$ ld of notches I2 constituting the mushroom holding means. rThis is because mushrooms normally have discardable root end portions of a length proportional to the diameters of the stems. The large diameter stems are nsertable less distantly into the notches i2 than are the small diameter stems Wherefore the large diameter stems will be introduced to the knife l5 over a portion of the trailing edge TEnearer to the end Y than will the small diameter stems. Consequently the machine is designed for automatically gauging trimming the correct length of root end portion from mushroom of random size and stemdiameter irrespective of 8 the order it finnish tney are ure turret-mounted musiirodriiioiomg' Those root end portions which are s evered from the stems 'by ythe knife I5 are permitted to d r'op and collect for discard, The turretoperat's at s'ucient speedffor the momentum o f the buttons M severed from the ste'rnby the knife edge EG to cau'seth'e severed buttons to slide la'cro'ss the knife Il y'i nto 'tl i e chute4 I B. The ange 'portion Hoa extending-iipwardly from the knife Il willchange the coursepf the slidingheads o 'r buttonsand direct them ontothe declining part of the'chute'lf,

Afferma, not end .-rortidns, erlernten. have been out from thestems as theyvpass from po sition F to 'p`ositi on Q in Fig 'l, the cla ping ngers I3 will continue to holdhthenstenis in the notches I2 until these are ov.e r a portion of 'the lstein receiving chute -2 coinc dentally with the camfollower roileron the asstbiatednnger vim approach tlieggm profile point '63 andpiv'ot vthe lingercounter-olockwise as viewed in Fig. '7 for r e' 1 e as i ng the v stem and permitting it to be iorceablynejected vfrom the holding means (whichincludes the notches and the fingers) dc'nvntva-rdly onto the chutell by the spring urged ejector vhead l The ejector head it, as explaine'd above, is form ed of a bendable elastic substance fabricreinforced rubber so that` subsequently to entering @30h notch .l2 ,it S. -gageblebrihe .trailing edge E vof such notch forbeing c ammedupwardly Yonto the uifnoi surfacenof the annular plate 'i6 which slides thereunderincident to :carrying the succeeding notch into registry with thehead.

Having describeda single prferred vembodiment of vthe invention with the view of clearly and concisely disclosing rthe s a me, we claim:

l. yIn a 'machine f or processing trimmable articles having a stenna root portion at an end of the stem and a head at the opposite end thereof; article holding means fadvanceable to transport an article held thereby along a linear vcourse while disposing the principal axis of the article stem transversely of such course, means` for advancing vsaid holding means, root trimming means disposed contiguously to said course for trimmingtheroot portion from the article as it is transported v therepast v said holding meiis ad Saidifimmrlg, mea-ris beine relatively adjustable axially of the stem todetermine the length of the root portion trimmedtherefrom, and means vsensitive to the diameter of saidstem and to the combined lengthoi the stem and root portion for determining the magnitude of such relative adjustment,

2. In a machine for processing trimmable articles havin-g a stem, a -root portion at an end of the stem and a headat the opposite end thereof; article holding I rieans having an axis and advanceable to transport anarticle held thereby along' a linearcourse transverselyof said axis while holding the article withits s teinin substantial parallelism with said holdingmeans axis, means associated with said holding means to determine lateral spacing `between the holding means axis and the axis of the stem` therein according to the diameter of such stem, s ior 'advancing the holding means, root mining means disposed adjacent/ly to said course for trimming the root portion from thearticle as it is transported therepast rsaid holding means4 and said trimming means bingreiativeliz adjustable axiauy of the holding means skis tt' de-n termine the length of root portion trimmed from the stem, and means sensitive to the length of said stem and also to said lateral spacing of the stem and holding means axes for determining the magnitude of said relative adjustment of the trimming means and holding means.

3. In a machine for processing trimmable articles having a stem, a yroot portion at an en d of the stem and -a head -at the'op-posite end thereof; article holding means advanceable to transport an article held thereby lengthwise of la course while disposing the principal axis of the article stem transversely of such course, means for advancing said holding means, trimming means disposed adjacently to the course and operable to sever the root portionfr-om the stem as the article is carried past said trimming means, said holding means and said trimming means being relatively movable lengthwise of an article stem held by the holding means, a gauge member constrained for movement with the trimming means and having a gauging face eX- tending lengthwise of said course while diverging therefrom in the direction from which the articles approach to facilitate the root portion having a camming action upon said face for relatively moving the trimming means and larticle holding means lengthwise of the article stem to separate them as the article approaches the trimming means, said member being tilted transversely of said course to modify the amount of such separation of the holding means and trimming means in accordance with the lateral position of the article stem transversely of the course, and gauge means associated with the holding means and against which the article stem is retainable for determining such lateral position in accordance with the diameter of the stem.

4. In a machine for Iprocessing trimmable articles having a stem, a root portion at an end of the stem and a head at the opposite end thereof; trimming means adapted to trim the root portion of an article from the stem of an article transported therepast, article holding means advanceable past said trimming means while transporting an article held thereby past thev means as aforesaid, said article holding means being adapted to hold an article in position for the stem and -root portion thereof to project transversely of said course toward the trimming means while said holding means is in alignment with the trimming means transversely of the course, said article holding means and said trimming means being relatively movable to determine the distance therebetween lengthwise of the stem of an a-rticle being trimmed and to thereby determine the length of the root portion severed from the stem, a gauge member oonstrained for movement with the trimming means and having a gauge face intersecting and arranged diagonally of the line of approach of a root portion approaching the severing means, said gauge member being thus engageable by an approaching root portion to cause predetermined spacing of the holding means and severing means during the 'severing operation, said gauge face f 5. In a machine for processing articles having a stem with a trimmable root end portion, stem trimming means for removing such root end portion, a gauge member assembled with andv constrained against movement relatively to said trimming means, said gauge member being provided with a gauge face having a leading edge and a trailing edge, article holding means advanceable across said gauge face in opposedv spaced relation thereto successively across the leading and trailing edges in the order named, said holding means rbeing operable for holding an article to project the root end portion thereof toward andinto engagement with the opposed gauge face, means mounting the article holding means and the trimming Ameans for relative movementfor changing the spacing of the op-j posed article holding means and gauge face to accommodate the passage of different length arl--v ticle stems therebetween, means providing forv biasing the opposed holding means andgauge member in thev direction of relative movement toV diminish their opposed spacing with a force dominatable by thrust force exertable by an ar ticle stem interposed between the holding means and the gauge face, the gauge face being tiltedfw with respect to the holding means so the leading edge is spaced from the opposed holding means more distantly than the trailing edge for adapting the interposed stem to Afurther space thel holding means and gauge member as thestemv approaches the trailing edge, the trimming means being disposed adjacently to said trailing edge andA spaced therefrom toward thev holding means for trimming the root end portion of pre'- determined length from the stem means associated with said holding means for vadjusting the articles transversely of their stems in one direction lengthwise of said trailing edge as a direct function of the diameter of such stems, and

the gauge member having its face tilted divergingly from the' trimming means in the direction of such transverse adjustment to increase 'the'. length of root portion severed from. the stem in'i accordance vwith the lateral adjustment thereof.- 5. .A mushroom trimming machine comprising a rotatable carrier having an annular portion'- each section having opposed sides diverging' toward said edge, each of said holding means being adapted to hold a mushroom with its head adjacently to one of said faces while its stem" projects through the cut-out section in engagement with the diverging sides thereof to cause such stem to have a contiguity with said perimetric edge correlated with .the diameter of such stem, means for rotating the carrier, stem trimming means disposed substantially parallel with and in opposed spaced relation to a part of the other face of the annular carrier portion to sever root end portions from the mushroom stems pursuant to their being transported thereto through a line of approach by the rotating carrier, means mounting the trimming means for adjustment perpendicularly to said other face part, a gauge member constrained for such adjustment with the trimming means and having a gauge face also in opposed relation with said face part and disposed in angular intersecting relation with said line of approach for being brushable against by the root ends of the stems to adjust the spacing of the gauge member and the trimming means from: saidv other carrier face as thestems approachthe-trimmingameans; and said; gauge face and saidfacey partdiverging asitheyl extend generallyjtoward said p erimetric :edgef of the carrier.

'7.i A. mushroom trimming; machine comprising a-carrier rotatable abouta vertical-..axis and hav.- ing, upper and lower sides/1 bordered by a perimetric.- edge, a` pluralitsry of mushroom holding means` including4 respectivefcut-out sections in the carrier adjacentlyy tov said' edge. and spaced apartlinearly. thereof,I each cut-out section hav.- ingA opposed sides.v diverging toward the' carrier edge; each holding-means. being' adapted to hold a' mushroom with its head contiguously to the upper side-.ofthe carrier whilel-the-stem projects downwardly through the cut-out section in engagementv with the divergirugA sides' thereof to cause. the stem tohave acontiguityfwiththe perimetric edge.-y correlated with-v the-diameter of such stem; means for rotating. the. carrier, stem. trimming means. havingv ahorizontal stem-severing edge disposedin. opposedspaced relation to thev lower sideof they carrier imposition tofbesuccessively passed over-bythe .cnt-out sectionsand to sever lower end portions-from the stems ofmushrooms held thereby-pursuant to their being transported thereto througha line*` of approach by the rotating carrier, means mounting the stem trimming means for vertical adjustment to change the spacing thereof from the lower ends of the' transported mushrooms, a: gauge member associated with the trimmingr4 meansv and also vertically' movable to eiect/ such adjustment.. or the trimm-ing.;Y means, said gauge member having a gaugev faces also in opposed spaced relation with theflower side of the carrierthoughmore distantly,l therefrom than thetrimming means edge and sloping upwardly theretoward inintersecting relation with: said line; of approachsovasxtobe successivel-y brushable against byy the: root ends of' the; transportedimushroom' stems'. to adjust the spacing or the` gauge; member.v and trimming means cutting: edge? from' the; carrier; and said gauge member faces sloping dowrrward'ly` radially of. the carrier'tu; cause:V the stemsof largerl diameter stems whichI are held more distantly radially outwardly of the carrier to intersect the cutting edge at a section of higher elevation from their lower ends.

8;. A mushroom trimming machine comprising a carrier rotatable about a vertical axis and having upper andi lower' sides bordered by a perimetric edge; a plurality of' mushroom holding means; including respective cut-out sections in theY carrier adjacentlytov said edgev and spaced apart' linearly thereof, each holding means being adapted to releasably hold a mushroom with its head contiguously to the upper side of the carrier whileA the stem projects downwardly through the cut-out section, said machinev including a stem-trimming station beneath the carrier adjacently to said edge thereof, a head-removing station above the carrier and also adjacently to said edge, andr al stem-releasing station, means for rotating said carrier to successively sweep said. holding means past said stations, and the stem-releasing station being disposed so as to be passed by the holding means subsequently to their passing the other stations during rotation of the carrier, a horizontally extending knife at the stem-trimming station for intersecting and trimming the root end portionsfrom the stems as they move therepast, a flat horizontal knife disposed substantially flatwise against the upper sideofi the; carrier at thev head-removing station to; slice'. the:- headsf from. the. mushrooms moving therepast and facilitate precipitationY of the sliced-offhead thereacross, a chute-disposed; for receivingftheprecipitated headsi. and means for releasingy theV del-rootedv and decapitated; stems from the holding means as they traverse the stem-releasing station, comprising an ejector head. of pliable resilient material, and spring means yieldablyV pressingsaid headagainst. the upper. side or. the-'carrier and-intoithe cut-out sectionsv astheylare passed thereunder by the rotating; carrier.

.9.In a, s tem trimming machina. a bearing, a shaftjournalled in.said bearing for both rotational, and` endwse movement; a stem-trimming dsccknife mounted coaxially withsaid. shaft and. constrained for rotation therewith, and gauge meanscperably conneotedwith'said shaft for ad justing thesame endwise duringfrotation thereof, said gauge means havingl a gauge facel slidably engageable by,` an end of stemsfapproaching the knife, said gauge face being tilted angularly to. the shaft, and knife` axes., to: slope from the knife in one radial.. direction therefromand also being tilted angularly to; suc-haxes to slope from the knifeA inaradial .direction..therefrom which is `from the first. radial. direction.

l0. The combination set. forth in claim 9, wherein there. is meansv yieldably biasing the knife in, one axial direction, and said gauge means being operable responsively topressure on thegauge face, thereof. to movethe.- knife in the opposite axial direction. against, they force of the biasing means.

1l. The combination set forth. inv claim 9, wherein the disc knife is also.. constrained for axial movement with the. shaft, wherein there is means yieldably biasingthefshaitand hence the knife to one range limitof reversible axial movement,r and said gauge means being operable responsively to pressure onv thegauge iaceto move theishaftand .kniieaxially away fromsaid range lim-it in opposition to the force of the biasing means.

12. In a machineffjor trimm-ing- Ioot end p0rtionsiromv ends ofstems of. trimmable articles, a knife havingacutting edge, a carrier including holding means. for respectiye. articles and operable to successively carry such, articles through a path approaching the knife while holding the stem-s transversely or the path and, ofthe knife cuttingedge andv thence. carry. the articles past the cutting edge to trim the. root end portions therefrom; a gauge. structure, having agauge surface beside the path in. Opposed. relation to the rootv endhportions axially. of. the, stems and for engagement by the endsoi the stems as they approach the knife, the gauge; surfaceconverging upon the path as it' leads toward thev knife to gauge the cutting edge thereofI with. respect to the. ends of the stemslengthwise of such stems, the gauge surface also being. tilted to diverge relatively to, the knife edge, toward, a side of said path laterally of the stems to, gauge, the knife edge farther from such stem, ends according to the proximity of the stems with such side of the pathand the carrier holding meanshaving stem.- engaging edges dii/erging toward saidside of the path and being thus operable to dispose stems hel-d thereagainst; in proximity with such. side of the path in accordance. with their diameter.

JOE R. URSCHEL. LEWIS E'. WALT'ON.

(References on following page) 13 REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number v 1,326,905 1,347,385 1,825,629

Name Date Birch Jan. 6, 1920 Kirno July 20, 192.0

Floyd vSept.. 29, 1931 Number 14 Name Date Fox Dec. 13, 1932 Vetch May 2, 1933 Crawford July 7 1936 Canaday Dec. 1, 1936 Savery Nov. 7, 1939 Urschel Mam. 5, 1940 Jackson July 7, 1942 Urschel Jan. 17, 1950 

